PESHAWAR: Mangal Bagh Afridi, head of the Lashkar Islami, on Tuesday accused the political agent of the Khyber Agency and National Assembly Member (MNA) Maulana Khalilur Rehman of providing weapons to his opponents, the Ansarul Islam, another religious group, and appealed to the federal government to restrain such activities. Afridi warned that such steps by the administration and the MNA would instigate clashes between different tribes of the agency and others could also attempt to acquire heavy weapons for their defence.Talking to Daily Times, he accused Rehman and Dr Tashfeen, political agent of the Khyber Agency, of disturbing law and order in the agency and asked the federal government and the NWFP governor to investigate. “If the allegations are proved, they should be given exemplary punishments,” Afridi said, adding that Waziristan had been ruined by such people.
He said Lashkar Islami had never opted for conflict with the security forces in the Agency and expected the same from the administration. He said his organisation was engaged in clashes with a “group of criminals” and that the group had used mortar shells available to the government security agencies. He said his organisation had ample proof in this regard. The Lashkar had observed Independence Day as a black day, Afridi said, adding that it was not because of a lack of love for the country but because of the “high headedness of the political administration”, which was refusing to release their apprehended men on Independence Day.